WT printing Bibles for Thailand Bible Society

CatholicGuy

Maybe this is public knowledge already...I don't know.

Back about 10 years ago my best friend worked for a Christian Book Store. He used to order foreign Bibles for the store and one evening I was thumbing through a Thai Bible on the shelf and was dumbstruck. The endsheets and some of the maps where identical to the NWT except they were in Thai. But, it wasn't the NWT in Thai. It was published by Thailand Bible Society. We decided to contact the Thailand Bible Society and got a reply admitting that yes, the Bibles had been printed for them by the Watchtower Society. It was not the NWT but some version the JWs liked (my guess it must have used some form of the Divine Name in Thai).

I still have the letter from the Thailand Bible Society somewhere (we've moved since then). If there's interest I'll try to find it and post it here. I do not have a copy of that Bible version any longer. I don't know if it's still on the market. I never ascertained if the Society printed a "Watchtower" edition of that printing as well or if all the copies said "Thailand Bible Society" on the title page. My guess is that the Society approached them to get permission to re-print that particular translation and instead of paying royalties worked out a trade: `We'll give you a few thousand copies of that Bible translation in exchange for permission to reprint.' If that was the case the Thailand Bible Society probably made more money on that than they would have otherwise!

I wonder which branch did the printing and binding? Any Bethelites here remember such a project (late 1980's--early 1990's)?

Now, can you imagine the Watchtower Society printing Bibles for the American Bible Society? Can you imagine the brothers in Brooklyn binding Bibles for a Bible Society of Christendom? My friend and were going to write an article about this entitled: "Bibles for Babylon." Never got it written.

CatholicGuy

not my webpage but a favorite:
http://ic.net/~erasmus/RAZHOME.HTM

Stephanus

You're right; this does qualify as another example of the WBTS sleeping with the whore. Of course, they'd use the same kind of meally-mouthed justifications they used for the UN debacle. But woe betide any R&F Dub trying to use those justifications for their own "bad association"!

Room 215

Hi Catholic Guy, Steph,

Here's another thread that isn't getting the attention it deserves. They seem to feel no compunction to trample on any of their own rules if there's a monetary advantage to be gained. Not only do they make the rules, they reserve the right to ignore them at will, especially whenever someone in the Devil's camp waves the dollars at them.

Kent

If you find that letter, I will be interested in posting it on The Watchtower Observer.

Yakki Da

Kent

I need more BOE letters, KMs and other material. Those who can send it to me - please do! The new section will be interesting!!

Daily News On The Watchtower and the Jehovah's Witnesses:
http://watchtower.observer.org

Dino

Hey Catholic Guy. Bttt, and also dont forget Randy at Freeminds. He is an excellent writer and has other resources. Great post. What an eye-opener! Dino

MadApostate

bttt

DazedAndConfused

I emailed the Thailand Bible Society and here is their response:

Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 17:02:12 +0700
From: "Thailand BIble Society" < [email protected]>
Subject: Re: Contact TBS

Thank you for your enquiry. Thai Bible of standard version which all Thai
Christians are using is our copyright. And we manage the translation,
printing and distribution under the supervision of The United Bible
Societies.

Watch Tower requested our permission (with copyright paid to us) to print
the Thai Bible of 1948 version (very old) while general Thai Christians and
churches use 1971 version. This is the only activity we did with Watch
Tower.

God bless you.
-------------------------------------------------------
Pratin Bhasavanija (Mrs.)
Secretary to General Secretary
Thailand Bible Society
319/52-55 Viphavadee-Rangsit Highway
Khet Phayathai
Bangkok 10400
THAILAND
Tel. + 66-(0)2-279-8341-4
Fax. + 66-(0)2-616-0517
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

At this response I furthered questioned and this is the response:

Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 17:39:30 +0700
From: "Thailand BIble Society" < [email protected]>
Subject: Re: Contact TBS

Yes, they have our permission to reprint a number of copies for the reason
that it is the Word of God which changes people's life. What they printed
is the original version of our copyright. There are no changes in the
translation and language in this version. We do not know where and who they
are for. But for Thailand Bible Society, we also joined them to reprint a
number of copies for the sake of the elderly people in Thailand who prefer
the King James Version.

Recently, we have received 'questions' from a few people about Watch Tower
printing Thai Bible. What happened ?

Earnest

Sorry guys, I just don't see it. The WTS is a Bible Society and one of its aims is the publication of Bibles. It has previously printed many different versions of the English Bible. Now it prints Thai Bibles and provides some of those Bibles to the Thailand Bible Society. Frankly, it seems to me that you see hypocrisy where none exists.

Earnest

CatholicGuy

The Watch Tower Society didn't just "provide" Bibles to the Thailand Bible Society. It customed printed copies for them with the Thailand Bible Society imprint on them. So, the title page says "Thailand Bible Society" and has no mention of the WTS.

Maybe if things get slow in Brooklyn they could do some printing for the American Bible Society?

Hoping to get my original letters posted here soon.

CatholicGuy

WT printing Bibles for Thailand Bible Society

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